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MATERIALS 41
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STRENGTHENING SUSTAINABLE

INNOVATIONS BY SMART CUSTOMISED

FURNITURE AND TOTAL QUALITY

MANAGEMENT

The growing global urgency to address climate change and resource scarcity has enhanced the
need for sustainable innovations, particularly in material design and smart product development.
Consequently, this study aimed to enhance sustainable innovations in intelligent wood pellets by
integrating smart customised furniture design with Total Quality Management (TQM) principles. By
Hsu-Hua Lee and Chin-Mao Hsu, Tamkang University

StockCake stresses the need for circular economy principles in furniture
lifecycle management.
Wood pellet composites (WPCs), traditionally used for
energy and heating, are now being explored for structural and
aesthetic roles in furniture design due to their renewability and
mechanical properties.
However, integrating such materials into commercial

production processes poses challenges in quality control,
design integration, and customer perception.
This paper explores how re-engineered wood-pellet-derived
he increasing global urgency to address climate change composites—traditionally applied in energy sectors—can be
and resource scarcity has intensified the need for adapted for modular smart furniture applications through a
Tsustainable innovations, especially in material design triadic integration model that incorporates IoT technologies
and smart product development. and Total Quality Management (TQM) frameworks.
In recent years, sustainable furniture manufacturing has The paper is structured into three interconnected domains:
emerged as a critical domain for applying environmentally (1) material innovation, (2) smart integration, and (3) TQM-

conscious principles to consumer goods. based quality control.
Simultaneously, the use of intelligent technologies such as To address these gaps, this research proposes an
sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) systems in customised integrated approach combining TQM with smart customisation
furniture has introduced new opportunities for both user strategies to enhance the sustainable innovation potential of
interaction and material efficiency. WPC-based furniture.
According to the International Energy Agency, the global
demand for low-carbon construction and interior materials is Research Preparation

projected to grow by 60 percent by 2030. The furniture industry is undergoing a dual transformation
Additionally, the United Nations Environment Programme driven by sustainability imperatives and increasing consumer